Walmart's "12 Days of Giving" Facebook Campaign Spreads $1.5 Million in Holiday Cheer Across All 50 States

On the “First Day of Giving” Retailer Gives $130k to Organizations Stepping Up to Fight Hunger

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Dec. 12, 2011 – ‘Tis the season for spreading holiday cheer and Walmart is doing just that. Today, the company kicks off its “12 Days of Giving” campaign, awarding over $1.5 million to nonprofits that were nominated by Facebook users. By the end of the campaign, 145 grant recipients in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico will be honored. Twenty-five nonprofits that have stepped up to fight hunger are receiving a total of $130,000 on the first day of giving.

Walmart’s 12-day call for submissions resulted in more than 5,400 nominations from Facebook users who shared photos and short descriptions of a nonprofit’s impact in its local community. A panel from the Walmart Foundation reviewed submissions and selected winners with a focus on organizations that are providing basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing and baby supplies.

“The response to our campaign was incredible – the organizations selected and the extraordinary people behind them are rising to the occasion, using their time and talents to make an impact in their local communities,” said Julie Gehrki, senior director at the Walmart Foundation. “The selected nonprofits reflect some of the most pressing issues facing our country today. We are honored to support them in their mission.”

Nominations consistently fell in several categories that will make up Walmart’s “12 Days of Giving” and will be spotlighted on Walmart’s Facebook page daily through December 23:

Day 1: Fighting Hunger

Day 2: Building a Brighter Future

Day 3: Supporting Our Senior Population

Day 4: Providing Clothing

Day 5: Helping Communities Rebuild

Day 6: Overcoming Crisis Situations

Day 7: Providing Housing and Shelter

Day 8: Supporting Our Troops

Day 9: Rising Above Adversity

Day 10: Lending A Helping Hand

Day 11: Doing It All

Day 12: Honoring Our Heroes

The hunger relief organizations being spotlighted today include:

Nonprofit Name

City

State

Grant Amount

Project In As Much

Laurinburg

NC

$5,000

Mobile Meals of Toledo, Inc.

Toledo

OH

$5,000

Alive Ministries, Inc.

Woodstock

GA

$5,000

Argillite Elementary School

Argillite

KY

$5,000

Breaking Free Revival Center

Fresno

CA

$5,000

Cowboys with Compassion

Stillwater

OK

$5,000

Feed My Sheep

Puunene

HI

$5,000

Feeding South Dakota

Sioux Falls

SD

$5,000

Heaventrain

Cleveland

OH

$5,000

Lynchburg Daily Bread

Lynchburg

VA

$5,000

Move For Hunger

Neptune

NJ

$5,000

New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger

West Trenton

NJ

$5,000

San Joaquin County Second Harvest Food Bank

Manteca

CA

$5,000

Sneads Ferry Presbyterian Church

Sneads Ferry

NC

$5,000

Temecula Valley Rescue Mission

Temecula

CA

$5,000

The Forklift

Columbia City

IN

$5,000

The Generous Garden Project

Greenville

SC

$5,000

The Greening of Detroit

Detroit

MI

$5,000

The Lion's Den Soup Kitchen

Catskill

NY

$5,000

The River Food Pantry

Madison

WI

$5,000

Unity Barn Raisers

Unity

ME

$5,000

Yuma Community Food Bank

Yuma

AZ

$5,000

Step Out Outreach Community Service Organization

Sevierville

TN

$5,000

Minnie's Food Pantry

Plano

TX

$5,000

Winslow Community Meals

Winslow

AR

$5,000

In total, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are providing more than $19 million in grants this holiday season.Click here for a complete list of recipient organizations and for additional details on the “12 Days of Giving” campaign.

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About Philanthropy at WalmartWalmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support initiatives that are helping people around the globe. In May 2010, Walmart and its Foundation made a historic pledge of $2 billion through 2015 to fight hunger in the U.S. The Walmart Foundation also supports education, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness initiatives. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org